Lin Xiao Tian primarily stayed at the Lin family's home to accompany Qin Yu Xiang, or traveled back and forth between Black Mountain. He didn't spend much time with the others, who had long been eager for his company and intimacy.
Adhering to the principle of treating everyone equally, Lin Xiao Tian stayed. The hotel rooms were sufficient, and Li Gui Hua and the others had already booked them. Since that was the case, Lin Xiao Tian didn't refuse.
This night, too, was sleepless...
With the help of the dual cultivation technique, even though Guo Lin Qing and the others were ordinary people, they could withstand Lin Xiao Tian.
The activity continued until the next morning.
When Lin Xiao Tian stopped, the room was in disarray. Guo Lin Qing was still asleep. Lin Xiao Tian tiptoed to the bathroom, intending to freshen up before returning to the Lin family.
Just then, Guo Lin Qing suddenly woke up and went to the bathroom, also preparing to bathe.
Lin Xiao Tian could tell she was very tired and quickly advised, "Won't you rest a bit longer?"
Lin Xiao Tian stroked her head.
Guo Lin Qing could barely stand steadily, so she indeed needed to rest well.
But Guo Lin Qing shook her head.
"I'm covered in sweat. I still have to feed the little one later!"
Lin Xiao Tian felt a bit embarrassed...
It was also their fault for being so wild last night.
"It's all your fault!" Guo Lin Qing stuck out her tongue at Lin Xiao Tian.
If Guo Lin Qing weren't so exhausted, Lin Xiao Tian would have certainly not let her provocative behavior go unpunished.
"You've worked hard," Lin Xiao Tian said gently.
According to the Lin family's rules, he couldn't give Guo Lin Qing and the others formal status.
"It's not hard," Guo Lin Qing pouted. "But, remember to come often... to see the children often..."
Guo Lin Qing's words had deeper meaning.
In reality, Guo Lin Qing simply hoped that Lin Xiao Tian would visit and accompany her often.
Lin Xiao Tian touched Guo Lin Qing's cheek, not saying much.
After showering, there was a knock at the door.
When he opened it, it was Xue Zi Yan.
Xue Zi Yan had also woken up early.
Due to her constitution, the entire night's exertion was nothing to her. Moreover, with Guo Lin Qing and the others sharing the load, the pressure was significantly reduced.
"What are you two talking about so happily?" Xue Zi Yan said, then casually squeezed between Guo Lin Qing and Lin Xiao Tian.
She then snuggled into Lin Xiao Tian's arms, looking provocatively at Guo Lin Qing.
Guo Lin Qing was clearly unhappy and also nestled into his embrace.
Lin Xiao Tian had no choice but to hold both women.
The two women did not stop bickering, occasionally engaging in sharp exchanges. Lin Xiao Tian actually preferred how they cooperated last night.
If the two women were like this, he could only imagine the emperors of ancient times with their three thousand concubines having to deal with such matters every few days.
It seemed being an emperor was not easy either.
After a period of arguing, Guo Lin Qing left first to tend to the child.
Watching Guo Lin Qing depart, Xue Zi Yan inexplicably became temperamental.
"Hmph! She's so bold, but it's only because she gave you a child. I want one too!"
"Xiao Tian..."
After Xue Zi Yan spoke, she clung to Lin Xiao Tian like an octopus.
...
After spending another morning at the hotel, Lin Xiao Tian finally returned to the Lin family.
In the following years, Lin Xiao Tian primarily stayed at the Lin family's home.
The Lin family, having suffered a decline in population in the past, desperately needed stable development. For the sake of the family, Lin Xiao Tian dared not take unnecessary risks.
Fortunately, the inheritance of the Shen Nong Medical Classic remained in Shennongjia. As long as Lin Xiao Tian cultivated steadily, he would eventually reach the location of the inheritance safely.
Of course, although Lin Xiao Tian did not go to Shennongjia, he had sent people to investigate.
He also learned a great deal about the demon beast legions.
On the outskirts of Shennongjia, most of the demon beasts were at the Qi Refining stage, appearing in small groups, usually four or five per group.
These demon beast squads had average combat power and could be dealt with using conventional weapons.
However, the most dangerous aspect of Shennongjia was that the demon beasts were organized. Upon detecting any human presence, they wouldn't immediately attack, but would instead summon their forces.
This was the truly perilous part.
While conventional weapons were potent, they couldn't contend with so many demon beasts. Furthermore, Qi Refining stage demon beasts weren't killed by just one or two shots. Consequently, human expeditions suffered heavy casualties each time.
The key to victory lay in who was discovered first.
Shennongjia had a peculiar characteristic: the sense of smell of any creature entering it would be impaired, significantly reducing the demon beasts' advantage.
With the aid of some equipment, humans could also locate the demon beasts first. Of course, upon discovering demon beasts, humans' first choice was still to flee.
Facing these monsters with extremely high HP, they wouldn't sacrifice their lives in vain. Besides, their purpose for entering was not to engage in a pitched battle with demon beasts.
However, in recent years, as Lin Xiao Tian desired the demon cores of these beasts, conflicts between humans and demon beasts had increased.
Lin Xiao Tian also discovered that some Foundation Establishment stage demon beasts would occasionally appear on the outskirts of Shennongjia. Although their stays were usually brief, each appearance caused a large number of casualties.
This was entirely different from other forbidden zones, where Foundation Establishment stage demon beasts were mostly found much further out.
Lin Xiao Tian was somewhat tempted to intervene, but out of caution, he refrained.
After all, he was now not only the head of a family but also a husband and a father. Some things, without absolute certainty, could not be attempted. Any risk would result in a significant loss for the current Lin family.
After giving birth to her first child, Qin Yu Xiang had another two years later.
The second child was a girl. Lin Xiao Tian named her Lin Ling, with only one stroke difference from her brother's name, Lin Jiong.
The two children were fortunate to possess spiritual roots. Lin Xiao Tian planned to teach them cultivation methods once they were old enough.
For now, Lin Xiao Tian primarily taught the siblings about pharmacology. Unlike Lin Xiao Tian himself, they could not inherit all the knowledge of the Shen Nong Medical Classic at once, so they had to learn gradually.
When he had time, Lin Xiao Tian would also take the siblings out to identify medicinal herbs.
Lin Xiao Tian had originally intended to take the siblings to Black Mountain for practical experience, as it would be more intuitive. However, the elderly matriarch and Qin Yu Xiang were overly protective, leaving Lin Xiao Tian with no recourse.
Qin Yu Xiang, uncharacteristically, became angry with Lin Xiao Tian, not giving him a favorable look for several days.
Fortunately, marital disputes are often resolved in bed, and after Lin Xiao Tian conceded, Qin Yu Xiang didn't hold a grudge for too long.
Thus, another decade or so passed.
The children had grown up. Lin Jiong and Lin Ling had officially embarked on the path of cultivation and could perform simple refinement of low-grade elixirs and pills.
Lin Xiao Tian felt the time was ripe and took them to Black Mountain, as this was an area exclusively managed by the Lin family.